The Ericsson Cradlepoint MC20BT Bluetooth® wireless technology module and antenna is an accessory for Ericsson Cradlepoint E300 and E3000 routers that enables Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity for IoT use cases for small to mid-size branches. Example use cases include gaining on-location insights, optimizing operational efficiency, monitoring foot traffic, targeted guest engagement with proximity marketing, and connectivity to BLE based IoT sensors. The all-in-one networking and IoT solution make it easy to provide edge-to-cloud connectivity to deliver telemetry data from Bluetooth sensors to their IoT applications in cloud or data centers. Instead of requiring Bluetooth gateways with a distinct management console, boxes, and cabling, Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions offers an easy way to add Bluetooth to branch locations as a part of a secure, cloud-managed network.
Expanding all-in-one Wireless WAN routers with Bluetooth connectivity
Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions offers Bluetooth as a connectivity option without a dedicated BLE network. The MC20BT module inserts into the E3000 and E300 routers for an all-in-one device that combines networking, Wi-Fi 6, and security in a compact form factor. Manage combined networking and Bluetooth from Ericsson NetCloud to simplify configuration, enabling security settings, deploying, monitoring, and troubleshooting across remote locations.
Connect to BLE sensors in gateway mode
Gather data from Bluetooth enabled IoT sensors in remote offices, such as temperature, occupancy, and vibration sensors to monitor food safety, foot traffic, or environmental conditions. In healthcare settings, capture BLE-enabled medical equipment data to track patient data to be monitored in a separate location. While the MC20BT is set up in the gateway mode, there is an option to configure it to bridge LAN clients, to orchestrate sensor data from the router upstream to cloud services such as AWS IoT Greengrass, Microsoft Azure IoT Central, or MQTT server. When the bridge mode is disabled, the information can be captured locally on the router for retrieval.
Use beaconing to engage BLE-enabled devices
The MC20BT also functions in Beacon mode for use cases such as proximity marketing or customer engagement activities. When the MC20BT is in beacon mode, the module sends periodic beacon advertisements. If a Bluetooth-enabled device with the correct privacy settings comes within range, it will detect the beacon, and trigger a marketing platform to send a welcome message or coupon to the guest’s device. The MC20BT supports iBeacon, EddyStone, and AltBeacon modes.
